Community-based Organizations

Our undergraduates come from a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, geographic, socioeconomic and ideological backgrounds. In our incoming Class of 2023, 16 percent of the students are the first in their families to go to college, 24 percent are Pell Grant recipients, and 49.5 percent self-identify as students of color. In addition, students come from around the globe, with 49 countries represented in the first-year class. With a 5:1 student to faculty ratio, robust campus resources and a close-knit residential community, students thrive academically and socially at Princeton. Our graduation rate is 97 percent, which is among the highest in the nation.

Financial Aid
Princeton's financial aid policy is one of the most generous in the country. For lower- and middle-income students, Princeton is often more affordable than a state university. Princeton covers the full cost of tuition, residential college fee, and room and board for families with a household income of $65,000 or less. Most students from family incomes up to $160,000 pay no tuition. Plus, every aid package relies on grants, which do not have to be repaid, rather than loans. Thanks to this no-loan policy, about 82 percent of recent seniors graduated without debt. For the 18 percent who chose to borrow, usually for additional expenses such as a laptop computer or an unpaid internship, average indebtedness at graduation was about $9,000, far below the national average of $29,200.*

Twenty-four percent of students in the Class of 2023 are Pell Grant recipients.

Undocumented or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Students
Princeton’s admission and financial aid policies are the same for undocumented or DACA students as they are for all other students applying to the University for admission or financial aid.

The University’s generous need-based financial aid program applies equally to all applicants. If admitted, undocumented students can be confident that their full financial need, as determined by the financial aid office, will be met.

We encourage undocumented students to consult with the Office of Admission and the Office of Financial Aid if they have any questions about our process.

First-generation and Low-income Students
Our support for students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds is strong. Our Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) is a seven-week summer program that allows a cohort of entering students from under-resourced backgrounds the chance to experience the intellectual, co-curricular and social life at Princeton prior to the beginning of the fall semester. During the program, Freshman Scholars engage in seminar-style courses and/or laboratory research experiences, participate in a variety of co-curricular, community-building activities, and work closely with faculty members from a range of academic disciplines and fields. By experiencing early the many resources that Princeton has to offer, Freshman Scholars prepare themselves to be future campus leaders and peer mentors. The FSI program is designed as a fellowship opportunity and is free to students receiving grant aid from the University.

In addition, our newest initiative, the Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP) provides all first-generation and low-income students at Princeton with mentorship, academic enrichment and scholarly community throughout their undergraduate years. SIFP Fellows are part of a larger first-generation community of peers, staff and faculty at the University. The SIFP experience is composed of monthly mentorship group meetings, co-curricular workshops and programs, leadership opportunities, a summer enrichment experience and fully funded extracurricular activities.

* The Institute for College Access & Success, "Student Debt and the Class of 2018"

College Fairs
If you would like a Princeton admission representative to attend a college fair, panel, workshop or other events, email fairs@princeton.edu to let us know.